Display apparatus



A ril 13, 1955 M. H. DIRMEYER 3,178,243

DISPLAY APPARATUS Filed April 30, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 f7 Pfg. u

ATTORNEY vApril 13, 1965 M. H. DIRMEYER DISPLAY APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

MICHAEL H. DIRMEYER Filed April 30, 1965 ATTOR NEY April 13, 1965 M. H. DIRMEYER 3,173,243

DISPLAY APPARATUS Filed April 50, 1963 3 Shee'lS-Sheei'l 3 INVENTOR. MICHAEL H. DlRMEYER MMEMW United States Patent O 3,178,243 DISPLAY APPARATUS Michael H. .Dirmeyeig RydaLla. (334i) Rorer VSt., Philadelphia, Pa.) Filed Apr. 30,1963, Ser. No. 277,423 19-Cla`ims. -'(Cl. S12-200) This invention relatesto .display apparatus and in particular to..corn pact, easily transportableand reusable display apparatus for trade shows and the like.

Trade shows, expositions, conventions land similar `.gatherings are'by nowa well-established and important feature of .American business "life, Many business concerns find it necessary, .inorder to Ybe competitive, to display their `wares at severalshows each year and Voften .choose such shows as the occasion 'for theiirst public announcement or showing of anew product. :Inorder'to save expensethe same/trade show'exhibitsare often used in.a number of different shows. The cost of exhibiting such displays includes the labor, time andmaterial costs incurred in assembling the display, disassemblingit, recrating it, Yshipping it, uncrating it andreassembling it at Atnenext show.

rIt is therefore among the'objects.oftherpresentinvention to jprovide:

.(l.) Display :apparatus which .is :an attractive exhibit medium and a self-contained .enclosurefor storage or shipping purposes, and

:(2) A'reusable, self-packaged and easilyassembled and :disassembled display apparatus.

Other objects of the invention will occur to Vthose skilled in the art upon reading this application.

in accordance withmy invention .Lprovide a generally ,rectangular .housing which is split into two parts and "hinged along one narrow side thereof. On the side of .the housing .opposite .the hinge,.=means are Wprovided for securing bothhalves Yof thehousingto one another when `it is not being used for display or when .it is:in transit. Whentheapparatusis to ,be used for display, the-securing means are released and bothhalves ofthehousing are .opened until .they-are aligned vwith .oneanothen the se- .curing meanscan then .be .foldedout Ofsight. Inside each half thereis located anassembly whichcanbeextended outwardly .thereof .to .assist .in .maintaining the `exhibit 'upright "This assembly may also include,..forexample, `(l) space ioradvertising the nameof the.displaying.com pany or its trademarks or other'illustrativematerial, (2) means for illuminating the same, (3) a shelf on .which items 'or :descriptive literature may be.placed and yC4) .a planten 'The inside vpanel of `the 'housing itselfis provided with Va surfaceo `which-samples Vof theQgoodsor iiow charts, etc., .maybe connected,said samples, etc., l-being visible through space provided`in.the.-extensib1e assembly FIGURE l is a plan view vofthe` novel display apparatus shown in its open ordisplay position.

FIGURE 2 is a front elevationzview o'fthe apparatus "shown'ineFG l.

TV1FlGURE`3 is a sectionsview taken along `the section lines 3 3 of Zinthe directionindicated'and depicting the extensible assembly in three dierent VVposiitions.

FIGUR-E 4 is a-section view'taken valon'g'thesection lines144 of PIG. 2.

FIGURE is a sectional view ofthe apparatus shown --in .FG. 3 `taken along the sectionlines 5-5 in the direction indicated.

PIGUREis a view of the 'leg hinge portion ofthe .extensible assembly as shown in FIG. 2 andtakenalong 'the section 'lirismo-46.

.FIGURE 7 is anenlargment ofthe securing :means shown within the broken-line rectangle ".7 in 11.

FIGURE 8 is a sectional viewof Vamodiiiedform of the invention which includes a modified form of;eXtensible assembly.

FIGUREis 'anienlargement of part `of the lapparatus showninFlG. 7.

FIGURE 1l 0 .is .a sectional .viewzofi partof the. apparatus fshowninfFIG. i7 showing theiextensible assemblyinjts foldedLin position forfstorage. or transport.

.Referring to EFIGURES `l .and .2 .in particular, :there lis shown indicated :generallyfatsthe .-numeral 31,1;my :novel .apparatuszwhich.consists:of;two.main .partsfor :halves 'llla and 1lb connected together by azhinge 'lrwhichrmaybea pianoihingat'for example. :Eachfof .the xhalves :11a Yand .1lb .comprise :a generally rectangular i'housirrg :having fa "rectangular panel :such .as :the .panel flflc '.(FIG. .3?) :and fincludes respective orwardlyfextens"ible :assemblies .1in- .dicated generally f by ithe numerals l5 and .17. Flaps :'or .endi members 19 andfl :are :atiired torthehaives da. and 11b by respective hinges 20 and 22. vThese -Lend anemfbers, .as will be explainedin Vdetail later, serve to tsecure athezentire'apparatus lwhen vthe :twofhalves are fo'lde'dfover .on one another asshown ziniphantomzinthele'ft "sidefof :'FIG. l.

Referring -now additionally `to PIGS. ,3-"7, .it willbe seen `'that zthe extensibletassemblies fl5rand;1'71ar.e, .except for .certain advertising lettering, substantially identical. in the interest of simplification therefore,1the #construc- .nonni-.assembly 17 ionly willbe iconsitleredindetail. It .comprises two .rigid sidesupports 23 arid A24i'whoselower .endsare pivotally attached .fto the housing :by pivot 15in vsuch as the pin 26 `shown vinFIG. 3 tand whose upper ends lare connectedafor bracing andrigiditytogahorizon- .talaerossbeam'f yConnectedto-the tops .of zthesupports 1:23 'and 2.4 :and disposed between thern yis :anilluminateii Yrdisplay:subassembly 23. This .sub assemblyrcomprises vtwo y`lrslzxatpetl bracket: members :23a and ,2*8b=Which;are respec- .tively connected by bolts or rivets `tofthe supports2f3rand 2A. Channel members .28cand 28d-are attachedfby bolts .or screws,-for example,vto-.bracketsStrand 28h respec- .tively AApane1..28ezof frosted translucent fplasticzmayfbe .slid..between=the..channelmembers-28e .and 28d. This -.panel .28e may contain the .-na'meonpart of vtheznarneiot' .the company sponsoring. thesdsplay. or depictf the product,

or bear the trademark, etc.

A iiuorescentlightinU iixture I2f8g=which holdsan "elongated ftiuorescent. light 28h is. alsol connected to `:the :rigid members 23 and 24. This Ylight :illuminates theiplastic `panel 28e from behind andalso throws. light out..the.top

and bottom. of theV subassembly 23.

Near the middle ofthe -members 23 .and 24 are rtwo brackets..29 and '3l' having portions ,thereof-.pivotallyxonnected to members23 and Z4,.by..pivot`pins 29a=and1a .respectively (FIG. V6) "There .are .alsoconnected .to .the

-bra'ckets 29 and 31 folding .rigid `.leg `members lfindicated generally at 'the numerals T33 and .3.4. .The .upper .ends o'f members' andthave two.aligned-.transverse apertures therein (EIG. ,6.) through which :respective spins or bolts 2917,."29c, .and 3117, and .31C -arepassed 'Ehe lowerends of the members .33.ar1'd'j34are .equipped with respective inner extensionsa anda. II-'he extensions `33a and 34a are made .to slide npand down withinlegs `-33 "andlezand'are' respectively equipped with transverse aperturesl such A as aperture 331; (FIG. A4) Sinto `which respective zpins Yare passed. One of these pins, numbered L33e,'is-illustrated.inFIG. '4. 'It'.passesihropgh one o'f twotransverseapertures 33d and '33f"in the.rear of the leg L33. Thepin 33cis connected 'by a chain '33g .to the lrear of leg :33. Before the legsi33 and 34 arefoldedha'ck into the 'part 1lb ltheextension '34a is pushed up until 'its aperture 33h is aligned with aperture 33f and the pin 33e` is then inserted therein.

Between the pivoting legs 33 and 34 a planter 36 for plants may be located for purposes of rigidity and decoration. Alternatively, a cross-brace could be substituted for this purpose.

There is also connected between the legs 33 and 34 a pivoting shelf which pivots about aligned pivot pins such as the pivot pin 41 in leg 33 shown in FIG. 5. The aligned pivot pin connected to member 34 `is not shown in these drawings. The pivot pin 41 passes through a transverse aperture in the leg 33 and through another aperture aligned therewith in the shelf 40. To facilitate the pivoting action, the pin is passed through a bushing 42 and is secured at its inner end by a cotter pin 44 which passes through a transverse aperture toward the inner end of pin 41. Washers and 46 are also provided for better pivoting action.

When the shelf 40 is in its horizontal position, its inner edge 40a rests freely upon a horizontal ledge 50 that is permanently aixed to the interior surface of the back wall of the panel 11C. On the shelf 40 may be placed, as shown in FIG. 2, descriptive literature such as the piles shown, or samples or prototypes of the apparatus exhibited, for example.

In order to display the products being advertised, there is provided a mounting board 16 which is mounted to the interior surface of the back wall by nailing or otherwise aftixing two horizontal wooden strips 61 and 62 (FIG. 3). The board 60 may be of the peg-board type which facilitates rearrangement of the products and easy axation and demounting therefrom, or be of any other suitable material.

When it is desired to store or ship the display apparatus, the extensions of the legs 33 and 34, such as the pin 33e, are pushed up further into the legs after the pins have been retracted until the aperture in the extension is aligned with the upper -aperture in the leg (see FIG. 4). Then the pin is reinserted in the upper aperture to lock the extension in this position. The legs 33 and 34 are then pulled forward until the end 40a of the shelf pivots downward and the entire assembly 17 is then pushed inside the portion 11b until it rests toward the rear thereof as shown in phantom in FIG. 3. When this has been done to both of the assemblies 15 and 17, the two halves 11a and 11b of the entire apparatus 11 are moved on their common hinge 13 toward one another until they are as shown in phantom in the left part of FIG. 1. The end members 19 and 21 are swung toward one another until they are as shown in the position depicted in FIG. 7 whereupon the bolt (or bolts) 57 is inserted in the aligned apertures as shown and a wing nut 58 or equivalent is screwed on.

As may be seen from FIGS. 8-10, there is another form which my invention may take. In this form, the planter 36 may be supplanted by simple cross beam 37 if desired and the upper end of the assembly 17 may be constrained to a maximum outward distance by using one or more chains 29 connected to the cross beam 28f and to the back Wall llc. However, the main difference is that there is a shelf 40' which is connected to the back wall 11c rather than to the legs 33 and 34 as in the former embodiment. The shelf 40 is hinged by a hinge 43 to a horizontal member 47 which is attached to llc. The shelf is spaced somewhat from the member 47 by a space 48. Attached to shelf 40' on opposite sides are projections such as the projection 52 shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. There is cut into the lower edge of the projection 52 (and in the corresponding opposite projection) a notch 53 shaped to match the outline of a cross beam 54 upon which it rests when the assembly 17 is in its outward position. In order to ready the display apparatus for shipment or for storage, the front edge of the shelf 40 is lifted just sutliciently so that the notch 53 clears 4 the cross beam 54. Since the hinge 43 can swing upwardly and since there is a space 48 between the edge of the shelf 40 and the edge of the member 47, the shelf 41) can be moved sufficiently clockwise to enable the beam 54 to be dislodged from the notch 53. Then, the legs 33 and 34' are pushed inward, the lower extensions thereof having previously been pushed upward into the legs 33 and 34' and pinned in that position as shown in FIG. l0. As seen in that ligure the shelf 40 hangs vertically from the hinge 43 and outwardly of the legs 33 and 34.

General remarks As shown in FIG. 2, the translucent panel 28e on the right half of the overall apparatus has its counterpart on the left side and the two are unconnected. This permits those panels to remain in the display subassemblies of each half of the casing when the apparatus is in its retracted position as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. If desired, however, both of the panels could be supplanted by a single, slightly longer panel which could be slid out of the channel members 28C and 28d when the apparatus is to be retracted.

Furthermore, the invention may easily be used just with one of the halves, i.e., 11 rather than both, where a smaller or less expensive display is desired. In such a case, instead of having another half casing member such as the member 11a, the open side of the casing half 11b would be covered by two half doors or panels (not shown) hinged to the left and right edges thereof, their free edges meeting in the center when folded inward over the retracted portions.

Of course, other modifications of my invention which do not depart from the essence thereof will occur to those skilled in the art upon reading this specification. Con-` sequently, I desire my invention to be limited only by the claims herein.

I claim:

1. Display apparatus comprising:

(a) A selected number of generally hollow casing members,

(b) A selected number of supporting members, one end of each member being movably mounted to an interior part of said casing,

(c) A selected number of display subassemblies mounted to selected ones of said support members,

(d) A selected number of legs each of which has one portion thereof coupled to a corresponding one of said supporting members and a free terminal portion thereof adapted to be placed on a supporting base, and

(e) rigid means coupled to said casing for covering said casing.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the free terminal portions of said legs are of adjustable length.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 with the addition of shelf means coupled to said legs.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said shelf means is also coupled to said casing means and is constructed to fold vertically.

5. Display apparatus comprising:

(a) A generally hollow and shallow rectangular casing member having an open side therein, said member having an end wall for resting on a base whose ldepth is a small fraction of the height of said mem- (b) A pair of supporting members, the ends of the supporting members being pivotally mounted to interior points of said casing toward the lower end thereof,

(c) A display subassembly mounted to said supporting members toward the upper ends thereof,

(d) A pair yof legs respectively having one end portion thereof coupled to one of said support members and a free end portion thereof which may be moved away 3 from said support member, said supporting members, display subassembly, and legs being arranged to be retracted into said casing or to be extended out therefrom to assist said end wall in maintaining said apparatus in an upright position on said base, and

(e) rigid means coupled to said casing for covering said open side when said support members, leg members and display subassembly are retracted therein.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said display subassembly includes means for illuminating it.

7. The apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the free end portions of said legs are constructed to be of variable length and wherein said rigid means is an additional generally hollow and shallow rectangular member substantially identical to said casing member, said additional member having one vertical side wall thereof hinged to a vertical side wall of said casing member.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said free end portions include inner axially movable extensions that may be pinned in desired positions and with the addition of two rigid aps hinged to the outer side walls of said casing member `and said additional rectangular member respectively, said aps being equipped with mutually engaging fastening means.

9. The apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said one end portion of said legs are pivotally mounted to intermediate portions of said support members and wherein means visible between said supporting members are provided on the interior of said casing for exhibiting data or objects.

10. The apparatus according to claim 5 wherein shelf means coupled to said legs are additionally provided.

ll. The apparatus according to claim 10 wherein said shelf means is also coupled to said easing means and is constructed to fold vertically.

12. The apparatus according to claim l0 wherein said shelf means is pivotally mounted between two of said supporting members and its rear edge portion is constructed to rest releasably on a part of said casing.

13. The apparatus according to claim 10 wherein said shelr means is hinged to a portion of said casing and is made to rest securely on a cross member connected between a pair of said supporting members, said shelf being constructed to hang vertically from said hinge when said supporting members and legs are in a retracted position.

14. Display apparatus comprising:

(a) at least one generally hollow and shallow casing member,

(b) at least one generally vertical supporting member, one end portion of each being mounted to a lower interior portion of said casing for angular movement outwardly thereof,

(c) at least one display subassembly mounted to and occupying a region near the upper end of said supporting member,

(d) at least one leg each having an upper portion thereof coupled to an intermediate portion of said supporting member, each leg having a lower portion thereof adapted to be placed on a supporting base, said lower portion having an adjustable length, said supporting member, display subassembly and leg being retracted into said casing member, and

(e) rigid means connected to said casing for providing a protective covering for said supporting member, display subassembly and leg, when they are retracted into said casing member.

l5. The display apparatus according to claim 14 wherein said casing member has an inner, substantially vertical planar surface to which display material may be attached and wherein said display subassembly includes means for illuminating it and said display material on said vertical planar surface.

16. Display apparatus comprising:

(a) a generally rectangular and shallow casing member having one end wall intended to be placed on a supporting base, said end wall having a depth which is small relative to the height of said casing member, said casing member having an interior generally planar and vertical surface on which display material may be placed,

(b) two supporting members having their lower portions pivotally mounted to lower portions of the interior of said casing member,

(c) two legs of adjustable length, each having an upperportion coupled to intermediate portions of said supporting members vand a lower axially movable portion whose lower ends are adapted to rest on said base when said supporting members and said legs are extended out of said casing member, said legs being laterally spaced to permit viewing of said generally vertical interior surface between them,

(d) a display subassembly mounted between the upper portions of said supporting members, said subassembly including means for illuminating it and display material on said Vertical interior surface, and

(e) rigid means connected to said casing for providing a protective covering for said supporting members, legs, and display subassembly when they are retracted into said casing member.

17. Display apparatus according to claim 16 wherein said rigid means is a generally rectangular member substantially identical to said casing member, one vertical side wall of the former being hinged to one vertical side wall of the latter.

18. Display apparatus according to claim 17 wherein said rigid means also encloses two addi-tional supporting members, two additional adjustable legs and an additional display subassembly mounted to said additional legs.

19. Display apparatus according to claim 17 with the addition of two rigid aps respectively hinged to the respective outer vertical walls of said first-named casing member and said substantially identical rigid means, said flaps having mutually engaging securing means for fastening said flaps together and sealing said apparatus when said casing member and said substantially identical rigid means are folded into contact with one another.`

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 251,337 12/81 Burrows 312-200 X 284,251 9/ 83 Smillie 35-62 1,181,182 5/16 Stoner 190-17 1,197,610 9/16 Darling 190-16 2,356,688 8/44 OReilly 312--327 X 2,485,517 10/49 Vaule 248-464 FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner. 

1. DISPLAY APPARATUS COMPRISING: (A) A SELECTED NUMBER OF GENERALLY HOLLOW CASING MEMBERS, (B) A SELECTED NUMBER OF SUPPORTING MEMBERS, ONE END OF EACH MEMBER BEING MOVABLY MOUNTED TO AN INTERIOR PART OF SAID CASING, (C) A SELECTED NUMBER OF DISPLAY SUBASSEMBLIES MOUNTED TO SELECTED ONES OF SAID SUPPORT MEMBERS, (D) A SELECTED NUMBER OF LEGS EACH OF WHICH HAS ONE PORTION THEREOF COUPLED TO A CORRESPONDING ONE OF SAID SUPPORTING MEMBERS AND A FREE TERMINAL PORTION THEREOF ADAPTED TO BE PLACED ON A SUPPORTING BASE, AND (E) RIGID MEANS COUPLED TO SAID CASING FOR COVERING SAID CASING. 